Okay, so, I’ve been tinkering around with watches for a while now, and I finally decided to take on a big project. I decided to try and remake a Patek Philippe Gondolo, specifically the 7042/100R-010 model. Yeah, the fancy one with all the diamonds and gold and everything. I’m just a regular guy, you know, but I like a good challenge.
Getting Started
First, I started gathering a bunch of pictures and descriptions of the Gondolo 7042. I found out that this thing is made of rose gold, and it’s loaded with a ton of baguette diamonds. I mean, this watch is blinged out. Also, it’s a manual winding one, which is pretty cool, I guess.
The Details
- The Case: I started messing with some rose gold, trying to get that same shape as the Gondolo. It’s kind of rectangular but with these soft, curved edges. It was tough, man. I spent days just shaping and polishing the case.
- The Dial: Oh boy, the dial. This was a nightmare. I got these tiny little diamonds and tried to set them in the same pattern as the original. Let me tell you, my eyes were crossed, and my fingers were cramping. It was not fun. But, I managed to get it done after, like, a million tries.
- The Bracelet: The bracelet is also rose gold, with these links that fit together real snug. I tried to copy the design, but it was super hard to get the links to fit just right. Took me forever to get it looking decent.
- The Movement: Okay, so I’m not a watchmaker, not a pro anyway. I didn’t even try to make the movement from scratch. Instead, I found a similar manual winding movement and modified it a bit to fit inside the case.
Putting It All Together
After I had all the parts, I started assembling the watch. This was the most nerve-wracking part. One wrong move, and I could scratch the case or mess up the diamonds. But, I took it slow and steady, and eventually, I got it all put together.
The Result
So, after all that work, did I end up with a perfect replica of the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042? Nah, not even close. But, I did end up with a watch that looks somewhat like it. It’s got the rose gold, the diamonds, and the manual winding movement. It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty proud of it. It’s a little rough around the edges, and the diamonds aren’t perfectly aligned, but hey, I made it myself.
This whole project was a massive learning experience. I learned a lot about working with gold, setting stones, and assembling watches. It was frustrating at times, but also really rewarding. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I might pick a simpler watch. Maybe one without so many darn diamonds.
Click to consult